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On June 22, ASME will host its annual ISHOW competition in D.C. (Courtesy photo)

​You may be familiar with social entrepreneurship and impact investing, but the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) wants to remind everyone that hardware engineers have a space in social innovation, too.

In 2015, ASME formally began their Innovation Showcase (ISHOW), a hardware competition for socially minded projects.

“Our research showed a tremendous lack of support for hardware innovators seeking to enter global markets and make a societal impact,” K. Keith Roe, president of ASME, noted in the press release for this year’s competition. “With this year’s entries among the most promising we’ve seen since ISHOW first launched, we’re confident they all have the potential to address some of the most challenging issues faced by mankind.”

ASME ISHOW runs not only in the United States, but also Kenya and India. Expansion is a top priority for showcase leaders.

“From South America to West Africa to Southeast Asia, there are many talented folks that are changing paradigms with their work,” Paul Scott, ASME ISHOW Director, told Technical.ly. “We hope ISHOW can help them on their way in the future.”